This entry is from our Expert Guest series where wedding and honeymoon professionals share their best tips on creating memories that last a lifetime.

To keep your wedding costs in check, there are a few budget-friendly ideas for your wedding you can do to that will not compromise the quality of your day.

 

Budget-Friendly Ideas for Your Wedding

Limit your guest count

Tip 1: Limit your guest count

Opt for a smaller, more intimate wedding with your closest friends and family. Organize your invite list into different categories such as family, college friends, friends from home, co-workers, teammates, and acquaintances. Consider sending out invitations in different waves, and invite additional guests as you get declines.

Pick a date

Tip 2: Pick a less in-demand-date

Instead of choosing a Saturday in the middle of wedding season, save some money by considering having your wedding on another day of the week like a Friday or a Sunday. Also, the winter months are considered the off-season, but you can still have a fantastic wedding if your venue is indoors.

Hire a wedding coordinator

Tip 3: Hire a wedding coordinator

 These professionals have already done the research and have relationships with local vendors that can help you save on costs. Their experience in the industry and their connections will save you a lot of time and hassle. A wedding coordinator knows what works and what doesn’t and can brainstorm ways to work with your budget.

 Hire a photo booth

Tip 4: Photo Booth pictures are fun favors

Everyone loves taking fun photos! Guests can take their photos home as a keepsake and you can enjoy looking back at an album of all the funny pictures your guests took. You can look into hiring a photo booth or if you are tech savvy, you could create your own photo booth station too! Get imaginative with backgrounds, signage, and accessories!

Tip 5: Save Trees and Save Money 

Instead of sending out traditional Save The Dates and Invitations, consider sending your invites electronically. You save on the cost of paper goods and stamps, and you’ll also likely get a quicker response. Paperless Post has elegant templates for online invitations and can also collect and organize RSVP’s and addresses.

Floral favors

Tip 6: Enlist your florist or rental company for help with decor elements

 Love those mason jars or sparkling chandeliers that you saw on Pinterest? You don’t need to buy those items yourself, florists and rental companies already have an inventory of these items. Let the professionals set up the decor for you so that you don’t need to stress about any DIY projects on your big day.

Choose an all-inclusive venue

 Tip 7: Choose a Venue that has it all

 Having the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all at one venue moving from space to space allows for a nice flow for the evening. You’ll save on transportation costs and time that vendors need to set up in multiple locations. When you are searching for the perfect venue, be sure to inquire about whether they already have tables, chairs, and linens included in the price. Be sure to choose a venue that matches the style of wedding you are going for. 

Homemade desserts

Tip 8: Homemade Desserts 

See if your talented family and bridal party can help bake goodies for dessert. You can have a variety of homemade cookies, brownies, and cake at a more affordable price! These delicious goodies can also double as favors for your guests. Prepare some cute goody bags for any leftovers to be taken home. 

Wedding table

Tip 9: Be a savvy shopper 

Brides often post wedding decorations such as table runners, signage, and centerpieces on sites like craiglist.org at a discounted price. Sometimes you can even negotiate and bargain for the best price. Another great way to save is to shop for your wedding dress at a resale shop such as Dahlia Bridal where dresses can be found for 40-70% off!

Tip 10: Create a registry at Honeyfund 

Don’t have a use for any more toasters and toasting flutes? Ask your guests to contribute to your honeymoon fund if they would like to gift something to the newlyweds. Your wedding guests will be happy to send you off on an unforgettable honeymoon.

Honeymoon at the beach

Bio: Events by Sonya: At Events by Sonya, the organization, attention to detail, and passion for helping others is what makes Sonja an excellent wedding coordinator. She enjoys getting to know each couple and learning each unique love story. Sonya loves that every wedding and event is unique and she works hard to bring out each couple’s personality and style. Sonya plans and coordinates weddings in Southern California. Please visit www.eventsbysonya.com for more inspiration!

6 Comments

  • Lisa cass says:

    The chicken dance!

  • Linda Abram says:

    Happy!!!!

  • Sonya says:

    Photos by Joelle Julian, XOXO Wedding Studio, and France Photography =)

  • What are the tips for a student to organize a cheap wedding after exams? Some of graduates are trying to make an event memorable. First time college students often try to save up for a rainy day. They have tuition fees to pay and accommodation to rent.

  • Olivia Brown says:

    Amazing article. I am very glad to read these awesome budget-friendly ideas for the wedding ceremony. We all know that Wedding is the symbol of commitment and the foundation of your love for your partner. It also building a warm home that starts with choosing your partner for life. Anyways, I am Olivia a professional online blogger and make money advisor. So I recommend visiting Casinos Fellow website for those people especially those who are struggling to making money online. Anyways, I am unmarried and I have a great passion for my wedding ceremony. So I much appreciate the author for sharing this amazing weeding ideas.

  • Hamish Bock says:

    Thank you a lot for this topic! My wife want a luxury wedding and thanks to website I have money for it. Also thanks for the author for some great ideas for it)

Leave a Reply